On the second day of Christmas the 1862 Committee gave to me… two Turtle Doves
William Morris and Philip Webb, Trellis Wallpaper, 1862, Victoria and Albert Museum, E.452-1919 © V&A, 2013
The twelve days of an 1862 Christmas would not be complete without a nod to William Morris and Co. Despite only being founded in 1861, Morris and Co. showed their designs in the ‘Medieval Court’ of the 1862 International Exhibition; a space specifically dedicated to designs inspired by ‘the gothic’. Although not printed until 1864, and therefore not on display at the 1862 International Exhibition, designed in 1862 this trellis wallpaper – complete with birds designed by Philip Webb – is not only indicative of Morris and Co.’s style, but also the culture of design which the 1862 International Exhibition was intended to cultivate.
© Helen Cresswell and Ruth Mason, 2013